LAFAYETTE, La. – No. 3-ranked Central Oklahoma opens the highly-anticipated 2024 season this weekend when the Bronchos trek to Louisiana for the Mardi Gras Invitational.

UCO is scheduled to play five games in the three-day event, starting at 11:30 a.m. Friday against No. 22 Oklahoma Baptist. The Bronchos return at 2 p.m. to take on long-time power Augustana, then play once Saturday at 9 a.m. against Tuskegee.

Central finishes with two games Sunday, meeting Texas A&M-Kingsville at 11 a.m. and Harding at 2:30 p.m.

"We're excited to get started," said head coach Cody White, who enters his 11th year at helm with a stellar 403-146 record. "Our girls are tired of playing against each other and we're ready to go against outside competition. The team has worked extremely hard getting ready and they're looking forward to the season.

"It will be a tough weekend that will really test us. We're playing some really good teams right off the bat and will need to be ready to go."

The Bronchos make their home debut next weekend, hosting three games at Gerry Pinkston Stadium in the UCO/OC Festival Feb. 9-10.

ABOUT THE BRONCHOS: UCO returns five position starters, both starting pitchers and five other letterwinners from last year's that that won a school-record 54 games in finishing 54-9. The Bronchos won the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association and Central Regional championships in advancing to the final four at the Division II World Series.

UCO is led by a trio of returning All-Americans – pitcher/first baseman Terin Ritz,  shortstop Emily Deramus and outfielder Jacee Minter.

Ritz is one of the top dual threats in Division II. She went 27-3 with three saves and a 2.16 earned run average in the circle last year while also batting .356 with 12 home runs and 52 runs batted in.

Deramus earned MIAA Freshman of the Year honors after hitting .352 with 21 doubles, a school freshman-record 14 homers and 56 RBI. Minter picked up All-America accolades for the second straight season after finishing with a .354 average, 14 doubles, 10 homers and 47 RBI.

The Bronchos also have back two All-MIAA performers in pitcher Jordyn Pipkin and first baseman Tatum Long along with two more starters in outfielders Rylee Lemos and Shayleigh Odom.

Pipkin had a 20-4 record and 2.15 ERA last year, while Long hit .272 with 15 doubles and 38 RBI. Lemos batted .332 with 16 doubles and a team-high 17 stolen bases in addition to earning NFCA Gold Glove honors and Odom had a .274 average with five homers and 25 RBI.

Returning letterwinners Rylee Anglen, Makella Mobly, Layne Smith, Karson Jennings and Brooke Niver along with several of the seven newcomers are expected to also to help UCO.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: Oklahoma Baptist and Harding are members of the Great American Conference and both qualified for the national tournament last year. The Bronchos defeated both in the Central Regional I Tournament, edging OBU 2-1 in eight innings and HU 4-1.

OBU won the GAC title last year in finishing 44-12. The Bison have six All-GAC players returning, led by GAC Pitcher of the Year and All-American Kayleigh Jones, who went 31-7 with an 0.78 ERA. UCO owns a 49-33 lead in the lengthy series.

Harding was GAC runner-up last year and has three All-GAC players back from a 46-14 team, paced by pitchers Riley Price and Abby Burch. Price went 20-5 with a 1.73 ERA and Burch had a Division II-record 19 saves. The Bronchos beat HU in both previous meetings.

Augustana had a five-year string of national tournament appearances ended last year, though the Vikings finished 39-15 in winning their third straight Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference title. NSIC Player of the Year and All-American Torri Chute (.444 average) returns to lead Augie, who has a 14-8 series lead over UCO.

Texas A&M-Kingsville went 24-26 last year as a member of the rugged Lone Star Conference. The Bronchos own a 13-8 series advantage over the Javelinas.

UCO will play Tuskegee for the first time ever this weekend. The Golden Tigers went 25-21 last season, finishing runner-up in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference West Division.